Feed value of foliate from Acacia rigidula, Acacia berlandieri and Acacia farnesiana

The seasonal dynamics of the nutritive value and digestion of dry matter (D M) and crude protein (CP)in leaves of Acacia rigidula, Acacia berlandieri a nd Acacia farnesiana, native shrubs from northeastern Mexico, was evaluated . Plants were sampled in Linares, N.L. County, during summer, fall and wint er of 1995. The in situ technique teas used to estimate the effective degra dability of DM (EDDM) and CP (EDCP), using rumen fistulated sheep. In gener al, the in situ digestibility and EDDM and EDCP were higher (P<0.001) in A. farnesiana than in other plants. Moreover, the DM and CP irt A. farnesiana was highly degraded in the rumen of sheep, during summer and fall than in winter. There were little differences among seasons in DM or CP degradabili ty between A. berlandieri and A. rigidula. It seems that high level of cond ensed tannins in leaves of A. rigidula and A.berlandieri had detrimental ef fects oil the DBI or CP digestion in the rumen of sheep. Thus, leaves from A. farnesiana may be considered as a good supplement for grazing ruminants.